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I grew up eating On-Cor® brand salisbury steak patties with brown gravy that came in a box from the freezer, and I’m not sorry about it at all. They were absolutely delicious at the time! But since then, I’ve finished culinary school and learned a whole lot more about cooking.
Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe
I’ve got all the tips, tricks, and helpful hints to make sure your Salisbury Steak journey is an instant success with the best recipe around. It’s pure comfort food nostalgia but made with better ingredients and super flavors all around.
Table of Contents
- Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe
- What is Salisbury Steak?
- Homemade Salisbury Steak ingredients
- How to make Salisbury Steak
- Easy Salisbury Steak tips and variations
- How to serve this Recipe for Salisbury Steak
- How to store this Easy Salisbury Steak
- Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe FAQs
- Easy Salisbury Steak Recipe
What is Salisbury Steak?
Salisbury steak is a dish made with ground beef, onions, bread crumbs, and spices. Imagine miniature meatloaves in hamburger form swimming in a pan of rich mushroom and onion gravy – that’s Salisbury Steak, and it’s even better than it sounds.
Homemade Salisbury Steak ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Bread crumbs: Homemade bread crumbs, panko breadcrumbs, or plain store-bought crumbs all work well.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms are good, or substitute baby portobellos or your favorite wild mushrooms.
- Beef broth: I always keep a jar of “Better than Bouillon” beef base in the fridge, a paste which is similar to bullion cubes and you dissolve it in boiling water. It is widely available and tastes delicious. You can substitute chicken broth, too.
- Red wine: Just a basic, unfussy red wine for the sauce: cabernet, merlot, or pinot noir. Buy what you like so you can enjoy the rest with dinner.
- Flour
- Thyme
- Ground Beef
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
- Milk
- Tomato Paste
- Onions
How to make Salisbury Steak
- Line a plate with parchment or wax paper. In a large bowl, whisk together milk and bread crumbs. Add beef and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper) and knead until combined.
- Using wet hands, shape the mixture into four 1/2-inch thick oval patties and transfer to lined plate. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter until foaming. Add patties and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and reserve fat in skillet.
- To the pan, add onion and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and flour and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly stir in beef broth and red wine, and bring to a simmer. Return patties to the skillet and cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper (personally I don’t think it needs more at this point). Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.
How to grind meat
If you want to grind up your own meat for Salisbury Steak, I recommend getting the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Attachment Grinder. It’s the meat grinder I use and it works great if you already own a KitchenAid Stand Mixer! But if you don’t want to use a stand mixer attachment, the Sunmile Electric Meat Grinder is a great budget, stand-alone option.
Easy Salisbury Steak tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 hearty patties and plenty of gravy for each, enough for 4 generous servings of Salisbury Steak.
- More meat: You can make salisbury steaks with lean ground beef or ground turkey. Look for 93% lean ground turkey, though, not the 99% lean (it will be too dry).
- More flavors: You can spice up your meat mixture with garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, or even ketchup. I don’t use any of those here because those flavors make the hamburger patties taste like meatloaf.
How to serve this Recipe for Salisbury Steak
Serve your Salisbury Steak with any simple side dish that can soak up all that juicy gravy: mashed potatoes, buttery egg noodles, rice, or even chunks of crusty bread. On the side, try roasted green beans, carrots, or broccoli. You’re looking for a sturdy vegetable that won’t wilt in the gravy but can cut through the richness of it all. This is comfort food at it’s finest!
How to store this Easy Salisbury Steak
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: The patties can be formed and refrigerated up to 4 hours in advance. It’s important to chill the patties so they hold their shape while you fry them.
Freezer: Freeze the uncooked patties on a baking sheet or plate without touching, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Label, date, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe FAQs
To keep the ground meat mixture from sticking to your hands while you form the patties (or meatballs or anything else), wet your hands with water. This works for cookie dough, too.
If you prefer a creamy gravy instead of onion gravy with your Salisbury Steak, use cream of mushroom soup. I make homemade condensed mushroom soup out of easy-to-find pantry ingredients, but you can grab a can at the store, too. Add a half can (or a whole can if you want extra sauce) to the recipe as written, but omit the flour in this recipe because the soup already has thickeners in it. A cornstarch slurry isn’t necessary either.
Ground beef is cooked through when it registers 160 degrees for 15 seconds when tested at the thickest part.
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Easy Salisbury Steak
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (see note 1)
- 1 pound ground beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 medium onion peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 1 pound mushrooms thinly sliced (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme plus more for garnish (optional)
- 1 3/4 cups beef broth (see note 3)
- 1/4 cup red wine (see note 4)
Instructions
- Line a plate with parchment or wax paper. In a large bowl, whisk together milk and bread crumbs. Add beef and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper) and knead until combined.
- Using wet hands, shape the mixture into four 1/2-inch thick oval patties and transfer to lined plate. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter until foaming. Add patties and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and reserve fat in skillet.
- To the skillet, add onion and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and flour and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly stir in beef broth and red wine, and bring to a simmer.
- Return patties to the skillet and cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper (personally I don't think it needs more at this point). Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Bread crumbs: Homemade bread crumbs or plain store-bought work well.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms are good, or substitute baby portobellos or your favorite wild mushrooms.
- Beef broth: I always keep a jar of “Better than Bouillon” beef base in the fridge, a paste which is similar to bullion cubes and you dissolve it in boiling water. It is widely available and tastes delicious. You can substitute chicken broth, too.
- Red wine: Just a basic, unfussy red wine for the sauce: cabernet, merlot, or pinot noir. Buy what you like so you can enjoy the rest with dinner.
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 hearty patties and plenty of gravy for each, enough for 4 generous servings of Salisbury Steak.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Just made this recipe verbatim, delicious! My family devoured it and said to add it to the rotation. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
You’re welcome, Larissa! I’m glad it was a hit! – Meggan
Meggan: My husband is not real fond of red wine in our recipes, what would you suggest for a substitution in the Salisbury Steak recipe?
Hi Nadine, you can use additional beef broth instead of the wine. Take care! – Meggan